Description

In Papyrus' third racing game, the focus is moved from open-wheeled cars (IndyCar Racing) to closed-cockpit Nascar stock cars. 640x480 is the highest resolution on offer, on the CD-ROM version.

Nascar Racing is a detailed simulation with realistic car models, accurate controls and room for a distinct racing style. Nine tracks are featured, the Watkins Glen road course alongside oval racing. You have full control over the car's set up and paint job.

To reach a wide audience, various driving aids are available, such as auto-shifting and auto-braking. Races can be fine-tuned with the amount of laps.

One of the notable features is drafting, by which you can position your car just inches off the rear of competitors in front of you. When in this aerodynamically optimal position, you gain acceleration, conserve fuel and place less stress on the mechanical parts. By timing right, you can also make a quick pass.

Forums

Trivia

Advertisements

The game followed in the tradition of the toy companies. There were no advertisements for beer or tobacco products. That meant that Rusty Wallace drove the "Ford Racing" Ford and in all releases of the game the banners read "NASCAR Racing Series" instead of "NASCAR Winston Cup Series". However, you could always add the companies using the included "paint shop" feature. However, since it wasn't on the main menu, some people didn't even know that it was there.

CD audio

If you put the CD into an audio CD player, you can hear two rock tracks. Race Rif by Skid Row & The Fastest Sport by The Fat Man.

Licensing

In the releases with the real-world drivers, teams, and car liveries, not all major competitors were in the game, presumably because of those drivers having their own license deals. For example Dale Earnhardt wasn't in the game.

Manual

Dave Marcus & Joe Nemechek gave advice in the manual about how to race at certain tracks. It's been kind of funny with the fans, because both of these drivers have won a combined six races in their NASCAR Winston Cup career.

Mods

Hundreds of user made cars can be found on the Internet.

OEM version

A special Win32 version of NASCAR Racing was packaged with the Diamond Edge 3D video card. This version was optimized to run on the Edge 3D only, and does not run with any other video cards.

Regional differences

Some releases, presumably releases outside of the US, included only fictional drivers, teams and car liveries.

Sales

More than 1,000,000 units were sold, even though the game the required a (then) top-of-the-line 486-66 processor, and the high-res version was only shipped on a CD-ROM, for which drives were not common in 1994.

Awards

CODiE Awards

1995 - Best Sports Program

Computer Game Review

Golden Triad Award

Computer Gaming World

May 1995 (Issue #130) – Simulation Game of the Year (together with Aces of the Deep)

November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) - #31 in the “150 Best Games of All Time” list